Rudder assembly

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a sailboat rudder assembly. In the preferred embodiment the assembly includes a tubular metal tiller, a pair of rudder cheeks also made of metal held together as well as fastened to the tiller by means of a one-piece metal extrusion called the top part, extruded metal one-piece foreparts holding the cheeks at their forward edges and acting as gudgeon brackets, and a rudder blade pivoted between the cheeks.

United States Patent [1 1 Tanzer [451 Sept. 9, 1975 RUDDER ASSEMBLY [76] Inventor: Johann Tanzer, Terrace Vaudreuille, Quebec, Canada [22] Filed: Oct. 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 408,178

[52] US. Cl. 114/162 [51] Int. Cl. B63H 25/06 [58] Field of Search 114/162, 165, 167, 169; 403/355, 356

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,958,552 1 H1960 Vosbikian et a1 .v 403/355 3,217,684 ll/1965 Lapidas ll4/l65 3,269,347 8/1966 Koening v ll4/l62 3,731,645 5/1973 Pearce ll4/l62 OTHER PUBLICATIONS The Rudder, Thoughts on Dinghy Rudders, by

Percy W. Blandford, pp. 32-35.

Primary ExaminerTrygve M. Blix Assistant ExaminerGregory W. OConnor [5 7] ABSTRACT This invention relates to a sailboat rudder assembly. In the preferred embodiment the assembly includes a tubular metal tiller, a pair of rudder cheeks also made of metal held together as well as fastened to the tiller by means of a one-piece metal extrusion called the top part, extruded metal one-piece foreparts holding the cheeks at their forward edges and acting as gudgeon brackets, and a rudder blade pivoted between the cheeks.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures 1 RUDDER ASSEMBLY FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to sailboat rudders comprising a tiller, rudder stock and rudder blade. Usually rudder blades are pivotally attached between two cheeks of rudder stocks. Rudder stocks are removably and pivotally attached to gudgeons on boat transoms. A tiller is attached to the rudder stock by means of a top part of the stock.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Cheeks of the rudder stock are commonly made of wood, mostly of plywood, with either metal fittings or a combination of wood and metal fittings. Due to the adverse effects of weather, water, stress and movement, they deteriorate requiring maintenance and replacement. Tillers, too, are usually made of wood.

Attempts have been made to replace wooden parts by metal, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,645 issued on May 8, 1973 to Pearce, or plastic, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,983 issued on Apr. 24, 1973 to Ingham.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is provided a combination of a tiller, rudder stock having top part, foreparts and cheeks, rudder blade and transom gudgeons, in which the one-piece top part joins the tiller to the two cheeks, spacing the two cheeks and fastening them with respect to each other at the top and in which the foreparts space the two cheeks and fasten them with respect to each other at the front as well as being the pintle-equipped brackets to provide the means required to attach the stock to gudgeons mounted on a boats transom. The top part and foreparts are preferably each extruded in one piece of suitable aluminum. The tiller, which may also be made of metal, is slideably held in a closed tube in the one-piece top part.

DESCRIPTION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION While the Pearce patent discloses extruded metal forepart and top part, it is primarily directed to T shaped protrusions intended to provide interengaging means between on the one hand the forepart and gudgeon bracket and on the other hand between the top part holding the cheeks and the tiller-receiving cap. The cap, however, is an extruded channel open at the bottom where it engages the top part.

The Ingham device is directed primarily to an arrangement of a tiller used to lift a rudder blade by a longitudinal motion of the tiller in a groove provided in the rudder stock. It is preferably of plastics construction with a boss-like pivot.

This invention is in part directed to a rudder stock top part having integral construction with a closed tubular upper portion to receive a tiller. Such a closed tubular upper portion is resistant to deformation-causing stress when a tiller is jerked sideways. Additionally, no portion may be pushed or pulled longitudinally along by an application of force longitudinally on the tiller, which would also weaken the connection between tiller and rudder.

The engaging parts of the foreparts of this invention are of one-piece construction; this includes the parts engaging the forward rudder cheek edges and the gudgeonengaging brackets. This reduces the number of parts to be made and to be interfltted, makes the foreparts strong and reduces the costs of manufacture, storage and assembly.

This invention contemplates the use of a preferably tubular, preferably metal tiller, held in the top part by means of catches. The top part and foreparts may each be extruded in-one piece economically in various sizes to accommodate rudder cheeks and blades of various thicknesses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sideview of the assembled tiller, top part, rudder stock cheeks, foreparts and rudder blade.

FIG. 2 is an end view of a preferred form of the top part.

FIG. 3 is an end view of a preferred form of a forepart.

FIG. 4 is an end view of a preferred tiller.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MAIN EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 there is shown a rudder stock having a rudder cheek 1 superimposed over another rudder cheek 1A. Between the two cheeks there is a rudder blade 2, pivotally held by a conventional, preferably stainless steel pin 9. The cheeks are held at the top in grooves 11 and 11A of top part 3, whose end view is shown in FIG. 2 and at their front edges in grooves 12 and 12A of foreparts 4 and 4A, whose end view is shown in FIG. 3. These foreparts also serve as gudgeon-engaging brackets, which by means of preferably stainless steel pintles 5 and 5A engage gudgeons (not shown) mounted on a boats transom in the usual manner. The distance between the adjacent grooves is slightly greater than the intended thickness of the rudder blade. The widths of all grooves are identical and are made to fit the thickness of the cheeks. When assembling the rudder stock, the checks are inserted in the top part and forepart grooves and fastened in a suitable manner known in the art, such as by welding, deformation, screwing, bolting, riveting or by the application of a suitable adhesive. The preferred material of the top part, cheeks and foreparts is a light metal such as a suitable aluminum. Top part and foreparts are preferably extruded.

The top part 3 has a closed, tubular upper portion 17, as shown in FIG. 2. When made with a circularcylindrical inner surface according to the preferred embodiment shown, it is preferably provided with a groove 10, which, in combination with one or more protrusions 16 on a matching, circular-cylindrical tiller shaft 6, enables the groove to prevent the tiller shaft from turning in the top part.

One simple and the preferred arrangement is that of a combination having such a round, tubular aluminum tiller, whose end view is shown in FIG. 4. The tube has the protrusion as mentioned above to prevent the tiller from turning. It also has locks 14 mounted on springs 15 by means, for example, of rivets, the springs also being fastened, for example, by means of rivets to the tiller shaft, as shown. The groove 10 accommodates the last-mentioned rivets heads. A number of these locking devices may be mounted along the tiller shaft to make it possible to push the tiller farther back through the top part and to fasten it in more than one position, thereby shortening the tiller shafts forward-projecting portion. Provision is made for the usual extension rod 7, attached to the tillerby means of the usual loose pivot 8.

Rotation of the tiller may also be prevented by making the locking projection 14 project'through a hole in the top part instead of the groove-protrusion arrangement described above. Rivet heads must then be made flush.

The shape of the inner surface of the tubular upper portion and that of the corresponding outer surface of the tiller shaft may be other than circularcylindrical; it may be oval, polygonal or irregular to prevent turning, as well.

The tiller may be made of materials other than metal, or specifically aluminum. It may, for example, be made of wood, and be fastened by screws, pins, etc.

The tiller may be threaded and fastened in the top part by means of nuts in front of and behind the top part.

It is furthermore contemplated that the rudder assembly be provided with lines to lift the rudder blade about the pivot. Such a line may be affixed in the conventional manner to the rear-top of the blade. It may be passed forward through the tiller rod, or by making the protrusion 16 short, through the groove 10, or, alternately, it may be passed between the rudder cheeks.

What I claim is:

1. A sailboat rudder, comprising:

a rudder stock having a pair of rudder cheeks fastened together by means of a pair of foreparts, each of said foreparts comprising a cheek-securing extrusion having two parallel, rearwardly open grooves adapted tohold the front edges of said cheeks and each of said foreparts also comprising a pintle and gudgeon bracket adapted to be mounted on a boats transom; and further fastened together by means of an extruded top part having two downwardly open parallel grooves adapted to hold the top edges of said cheeks and having a cy' lindrical longitudinal key-shaped crossectional passage'through said extruded top part;

in combination with a rudder pivotally held by a pin between said rudder cheeks;

and in further combination with a tubular tiller having a downward projection at its rudder end on the botton of said tiller to secure said tiller in said top part passage against rotation in said passage and having a spring-loaded catch on the bottom of the tiller at the rudder end of said tiller to secure said tiller in said top part passage against sliding in said passage. 

1. A sailboat rudder, comprising: a rudder stock having a pair of rudder cheeks fastened together by means of a pair of foreparts, each of said foreparts comprising a cheek-securing extrusion having two parallel, rearwardly open grooves adapted to hold the front edges of said cheeks and each of said foreparts also comprising a pintle and gudgeon bracket adapted to be mounted on a boat''s transom; and further fastened together by means of an extruded top part having two downwardly open parallel grooves adapted to hold the top edges of said cheeks and having a cylindrical longitudinal key-shaped crossectional passage through said extruded top part; in combination with a rudder pivotally held by a pin between said rudder cheeks; and in further combination with a tubular tiller having a downward projection at its rudder end on the botton of said tiller to secure said tiller in said top part passage against rotation in said passage and having a spring-loaded catch on the bottom of the tiller at the rudder end of said tiller to secure said tiller in said top part passage against sliding in said passage. 